Ingredients:

For Cinnamon syrup:

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the Cake Batter:

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup whole milk at room temperature

(2) large egg whites at room temperature

(1) egg at room temperature

¼ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp almond extract

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 ½ cups white sugar

½ cup cold heavy whipping cream

1 cup chopped pecans

For Cream cheese frosting:

¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

(1) (8 oz) package cream cheese at room temperature

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

(1) drop vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon for sprinkling, or to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven at about 175 degrees C (350 degrees F). Grease 24 cupcake cups, or paper liner.

Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter over low heat in a saucepan; stir brown sugar and 2 tbsp of cinnamon into butter until the brown sugar has dissolved, and cinnamon syrup is warm, for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Add and sift the cake flour into a bowl with the baking powder and salt. In a separate cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites, sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and almond extract. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup butter with white sugar at room temperature and use an electric mixer until pale yellow and smooth, around 5 minutes.

Gradually, beat flour mixture into creamy butter mixture, alternating with milk mixture until well-blended batter. Continue beating for another 2 minutes.

Beat the cold cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer and clean beaters until the cream is fluffy, holding soft peaks, about 4 minutes; fold the whipped cream into a batter. Split the mixture among the cupcake cups that you prepare, fill them about 2/3.

In each cupcake cup, spoon 1 tsp of cinnamon syrup to a batter. Set aside leftover cinnamon syrup.

In the preheated oven, bake it until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with some of the moist crumbs, for 16 minutes.

Add and place the pan over medium heat with remaining cinnamon syrup, stir in pecans, and bring the mixture to a low boil. Immediately remove pecan mixture from heat and dump it onto a wooden cutting board. Let the pecan mix cool, and finely chop the pecan candy.

Add and beat 1/4 cup butter in a bowl with an electric mixer at room temperature until soft and creamy; beat in cream cheese until blended. Add the sugar and a drop of vanilla extract from the confectioners and proceed to beat at high speed until the frosting is moist at least 5 minutes.

Frost-cooled cupcakes are frosted, and each decorated with a pinch of chopped pecan candy and a cinnamon sprinkle.